Panel to examine bringing pre-school, secondary education

A 24-member panel headed by Minister of State for HRD Ramshankar Katheria and including education ministers of several states, will examine the feasibility of bringing pre-school and secondary education under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.
According to an order issued by the HRD Ministry, in the 58th meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) in June, 2011 it was felt that every child must have the right to at least 10 years of formal schooling.
A sub-committee of CABE was constituted under the then MoS for HRD Purandeswari on the subject of extension of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 to pre-school education and secondary education.

The committee, however, could not submit its report and in 63rd CABE meeting held in August last year a decision was taken to reconstitute the sub-committee.
According to the order, with the approval of HRD Minister Smriti Irani it was decided that Katheria would be the chairman of the panel which would also include, Bihar HRD minister, ministers for education of Assam, Kerala, Haryana and Manipur.
According to the order, the panel will examine the feasibility of bringing pre-school and secondary education under the Act.
It will also prepare detailed financial estimates for implementing children's right to preschool and secondary education.

The committee shall submit its recommendations within six months from the date of its reconstitution, the HRD ministry order said.